Coffee and espresso drinks from the Milwaukee roasters, plus smoothies and teas, sandwiches and burritos (both breakfast- and lunch-based), and several daily soups. Pour-overs, the lemon-blueberry scone, smoothies, and house beers are favorites. $1-$8.

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Intense curiosity among downtown residents and office workers about the arrival of the Alterra Coffee Roasters cafe in the ground floor of the Tenney Building finally came to fruition on Wednesday evening with a pre-opening party for neighbors and friends of the business. Just minutes before its unveiling, workers were putting finishing touches on the modern-yet-retro space, and adding brick-red awnings to the large windows looking onto the Capitol Square.

A good coffeehouse creates an atmosphere that encourages interactions among friends, business acquaintances and even strangers. It serves a role akin to a neighborhood tavern, only in most instances without alcohol. But with the arrival of Alterra Coffee Roasters on the Square, the lines between coffeehouse and tavern are blurred, with beer on tap next to the barista's station.

When you order a coffee from the coffee bar portion of Alterra, where fresh cups are produced one at a time like all the cool coffeehouses do it now, you sort of hover near the bar and wait. When you order food and choose to sit at a table outside, your food is brought to you by table number. But when you do both? Well, you figure it out, because I had to ask. (There's no good way.)